Priestess of the Jewel
by walnut43
Summary: Five hundred years ago, a miko foretold of a woman that would save the realms. Now two brothers wait for the day that she will come. The deity of purity and innocence that will save them all from the destruction of an evil hanyou and a magical jewel.IYYYH
1. Prologue

**Priestess of the Jewel**

**Summary:** Five hundred year ago, a miko foretold of a woman that would save the realms. Now two brothers wait for the day that she will come. The deity of purity and innocence that will save them all from the destruction of an evil hanyou and a magical jewel.

A/N: I do not own the characters! Also, this is based off of the Dark Jewels Trilogy, by Anne Bishop. You'll notice similar events that happened in the book. Oh, and this will be a crossover between Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho. I saw it fitting seeing as Realms exist in Yu Yu.

"Dialogue"

_Thoughts_

**Prologue**

I am Kaede the weaver; however, different people call me different things. To some I am Kaede the liar and to others I am Kaede the fool, but mostly I am just Kaede the weaver.

Whenever there is a need for entertainment, I am the one the Lords and Ladies call. I weave my tales after the lads and lasses have danced, the lords are drunk with merriment, and the music has died away.

The people say, "Spin us a tale, Kaede, weaver of the whimsical." They cheer and clap their hands and wait for me to assume my position at the front of the court.

I am old. My bones get tired, so it takes me some time to ascend the few steps onto the platform, but it's in those few moments that I observe the court. I usually see the Lords eyeing the serving girls and the Ladies admiring young men, hoping to snag one to warm their bed.

But tonight is different. Tonight I sift through the crowd with my good eye to find two in particular men. Two men I need to have witness this tale I will spin.

By the time I reach the low three-pegged stool, I have everyone in the courts attention. They wait with bated breath hoping I will tell their fortunes as I have done in the past but, as I said before, tonight is different.

There has been something whispering on the winds for weeks now. The inkling of a prophecy in the making. It is a calling I have not heard in over a decade, but I will not let this opportunity pass me by. Tonight I will weave a tale far more prophetic than those I have spun in the past. I will tell a tale that will impact future generations of men and women. It will be a tale that is forsaken, but I only need two to hear it. To remember the deeper meaning behind my words.

So tonight there will be no fortunes. I can only say it once. I only want to say it once. This tale I will weave will top them all.

I wait, but it's not like they notice. Their glasses are filled to the brim with wine and refilled when necessary by cute little service girls with round rumps for the Lords to rub.

A flash of silver out of my peripheral vision alerts me to one. There he is, Sesshomaru Takahashi, eldest son of Inu-Taisho, and heir to the Western Citadel. He is as beautiful as he is cruel. Women plead to be bedded by the stoic man. His skills within the bedroom are known throughout the land, but his rage is just as wicked and renowned.

I have never been witness to his brutal rage. He has always been kind to me, so tonight I throw out to him a thread of hope and pray that he will understand.

I can see and hear that the Lords and Ladies grow restless. I usually never wait this long before I proceed, but I need to know that the other one I search for is here. I need to know that he has heard my tale.

After tonight, it will make no difference. The Lords and Ladies of today will not comprehend the nonsense, but it matters not. I only need two people that do. I only need the pair I have sought out. The one's I know I can trust to remember my words and wait for it to come true.

There's the other, Inuyasha Ito, the hanyou from the East.

They are bound by means that the two are unable to comprehend. Drawn to the other like a moth to flame but neither are they friends nor outright enemies.

The two have fought legendary battles and destroyed more courts than one can count. The Lords and Ladies are always wary to keep the two together for long amounts of time.

I raise my head and tap my walking stick three times. Sesshomaru turns a keen eye toward me. His expression has not changed, but I know he is waiting, ready to listen to the account I am about to share.

I also know that because he is listening, Inuyasha is listening too.

"She is coming..."

The Lords and Ladies do not move. I am unsure they are even aware that I have spoken but it matters not because Sesshomaru and Inuyasha have heard my words.

"You old hag, tell me who I am to marry!" An angry courtier yells along with several other disgruntled court members.

"She is coming," I repeat with a little more vigor. Tears spring to my eyes and I pray that I still have the time and strength to continue on. I can feel a darkness seeping into my body that threatens to send me over the edge into the land of the broken.

"A terrible darkness will arise and the lands will be torn in battle. Many will die. Those who survive will serve!"

_Kami no! Please, just let me get this out!_

Sesshomaru comes to my side and kneels as his large hands take my frail ones within his. I speak as if he were the only one in the room and through him I know I am speaking to Inuyasha.

"There is a man who is going to covet the scared jewel," I see his eyes widen minutely in shock but he remains silent. "Yes, the Shikon no Tama. It is a jewel of legend, but then again so is the being. This man will twist and turn the life and people into his minions. He will risk everything for the jewel. His perversion will taint the land and the people who reside there. His own greedy ambitions will drive everyone to seek the jewel. A power so great will rise up to combat the evil and the two will duel to the death."

"Who is left to fight this battle? A Lord and a hanyou?"

_Damn, this evil spell!_ I hold onto his hands in a bone breaking way and press on.

"The light has had a Prince for a long time, now the Queen is coming. It may take years or even centuries before she arrives, but she is coming."

"They will be dust by then, Sesshomaru," My right hand indicates to the perturbed court members encircling us. "Only you and the hanyou will be here to serve."

"Kaede, what Queen?" I can see the frustration mounting in his eyes but there is not time to answer his question.

"The living myth. The one of dreams made flesh." My words are nothing more than a whisper on the wind, but I know he's heard because his eyes harden and he leans forward.

"Are you sure?"

"I have seen her. I have seen the one that shall save us." The world is spinning. There are dark blotches that mar my vision, and I know I do not have much time.

"The hanyou."

"What about him?" There is a bitterness that tinges his words.

"He's your brother. He is the son of your father."

His eyes narrow and I see that he does not want to believe my words. "Sesshomaru, it is true."

_I cannot hold on any longer._ My vision swims and I succumb to the welcoming darkness that cradles me into its warmth.

I have been broken by an evil spell whose castor has not yet shown himself. He has broken my mind, and it will never be the same again. I will forever walk the road between sane and the insane.

However, I am at peace. I know that another miko will come.

Not just any miko, but Miko.

A/N: I know this is a little weird. Also, Kaede, for the sake of this story, is going to have the life of a demon. She is not a demon though. We'll call her a person from one of the long lived races.

A/N 2: I apologize, in advace, for those of you who have read the trilogy! I will try my best not to butcher the great works by Anne Bishop.


	2. A wish made in blood

**Priestess of the Jewel**

**Chapter 2: A wish made in blood**

**A/N:** I thought I would include a little background information so that things make sense. Sesshomaru is Lord of the West. He does not know that his father is Inu-Taisho. I know it's confusing. He is, however, heir to the Western Citadel as stated in chapter 1. His mother sold him into slavery so that she could rule unhindered. He believes that his father died when he was young. In addition to that, while Sesshomaru is a Lord, he still serves a Queen.

Also, there are certain aspects of the novels by Anne Bishop that I will incorporate into the story that will mix things from the anime/manga that make up Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho.

Demons and humans wear jewels. They get them at birth. The power depends on what color jewel a person or demon wears. From weakest to strongest the order is:

White

Yellow

Tiger Eye

Rose

Summer-Sky

Purple Dusk

-:Opal:-

Green

Sapphire

Red Grey

Ebon Grey

Black

-:Opal:- is the dividing line between the light and dark jewels. It can go either way, and just like the jewel in the Inuyasha series, the Shikon no Kakera gives unimaginable amounts of strength.

When making an offering to Kami, a person or demon can descend a maximum of three ranks from his/her Birthright Jewel.

Ex. Birthright White could descend to Rose.

In the Dark Jewels Trilogy there is a hierarchy order. I am going to say that the hierarchy is as follows:

**Ningen-Kai**

ningen (human)

healers

monk/miko (priestesses)

King/Queen

High Priestess

Miko

**Makai**

low level demons-they wear anything from White-Opal

Warrior Demons-they wear anything from Opal-Red

Warlord Princes-they wear either Grey or Ebon Grey

Taiyoukai-they wear the Black Jewel

-:-Mental Communication-:-

_Thoughts_

I will be introducing some characters from Yu Yu Hakusho in this chapter.

**----Disclaimer----**

**There is a sort of graphic torture scene in this chapter. If you are uncomfortable with that please turn back now! I've rated this story M for a reason. There are going to be very mature themes throughout the story. **

**Ningen-kai**

Inuyasha Ito, the inu hanyou, watched the guards carry the poor, blubbering man to the boat. His eyes harbored no sympathy for the ringleader of the aborted slave revolt. His sympathy had died long ago because it was an emotion he could no longer afford.

He had refused to be apart of the revolt. He knew it would fail. The men involved didn't have what it took to see it through. They didn't enjoy watching blood run.

He had not participated, and yet Tsubaki punished him anyway. His wrists, neck, and ankles were rubbed raw from where the shackles had worn away at his skin, and his back ached from the bite of the whip that had been relentless in its beating.

Inuyasha flexed his claws and was immediately prodded with a club by a skittish looking guard. His low hiss of anger did not go unnoticed as the man high-tailed it out of the small room.

Kuronue smirked at the subtle action.

"You know you're only going to get another fifty lashes if she hears about your behavior." The Bat youkai turned somber as the half-starved demon was shackled into the boat that would soon house his imminent torture.

"Feh," was the only response Kuronue received from the disgruntled hanyou.

"What do I care about the crusty, bitch?" Inuyasha barely kept rage did not go unnoticed.

They watched with bored expressions on their faces. This scene was nothing that they hadn't seen before. Once they had chained the poor man into the boat, a guard smeared grease onto his genitals. Once the guards had secured the demon's hands to the metal rings outside of the boat, a cover was placed over the man so that only his hands and head remained outside.

One of the guards grinned maliciously before turning to the other guards. "He should have a last meal." Then with a snap of his fingers the guards shoved food into his mouth and then left.

As the guards were trudging back to the castle, one yelled, "This is a warning to all of those who wish to betray Lady Tsubaki! Enjoy the show boys!"

Drawn by the smell of the food and the grease the rats came out of their hiding places and went into the boat.

The sound of the man's screams filled the air as night crept across the sky.

------------------------------

Under the darkness of night, Inuyasha silently crept over to the demon. His vocal chords had long ago been worn raw, and tears stained his cheeks.

"I didn't tell them, Yasha," the demon sobbed. "They tried to force it out of me, but I didn't tell. I still had some honor left."

Inuyasha quieted the demon's babbling and gently held a cup to his lips. "Drink."

"No! No, I don't want to!"

"Hush, it will help. It will soothe the pain." With a soft touch, Inuyasha gently cradled the male's head and put the cup against his swollen lips. After a couple swallows he set the cup aside. "It will help." He assured once again as the soft sound of the night lulled the male into drowsiness.

"I'm a demon, Yasha." The demon's words were starting to slur, but his slurring words didn't deter his from speaking. "A warrior of the Southern Citadel. I wear the Red Jewel. How can she do this to us? How can they enslave us like domesticated animals?" The cup was offered again, and this time the demon drank long and deep.

"They have no honor. They have no comprehension of what it means to have such protocol or moral codes as we do in the Makai. The High Priestess's influence over the monks and mikos is fierce and has only spread like a disease. This plague will devour all of the territories."

"Perhaps the ningens are correct. Maybe the three realms were created for a reason."

"No, we are what we are. There is evil among all races, and evil among those who rule now."

"Oh, Yasha, where are the good among us? Where have they all gone?" Sleep clouded the demon's emerald orbs, but the question still lingered in the depths.

"They have been enslaved or taken care of."

A soft chuckle escaped from the male's swollen lips after he downed the rest of the drink. "I feel so very brave."

"You have been."

"Yashsa, the rats. The rats...my balls are gone."

"I know."

"And I cried. They were all witness to my tears."

"That detail is unimportant."

"I am a Warrior. I shouldn't have cried."

"That all pales in comparison to the fact that you didn't tell them."

"Tsubaki killed them anyway."

"She'll pay for it. One day she will pay for it with her lifeblood, and those like her will pay too." Inuyasha's claws gently rubbed circles in the demon's neck.

The serene melodies of the night filled the air, and Inuyasha let the male be soothed by the gentle sounds. Inuyasha watched as the medicine took its effect before he continued his ministrations on the demon's neck.

"Yasha, I–"

The movement was quick, the sound sharp.

Inuyasha carefully let the male's head roll to the backward as he rose to his feet. Inuyasha knew that it wouldn't work. He could've told them that the Ring of Obedience was so finely tuned that any minute change in youki would alert the owner.

He also could have told them that there were far worse forms of torture than the Ring to keep men or demons docile. The only way to escape, even for a little while, would have been to care for no one.

He could have told them.

However, when they had neared him, cautiously, eager to ask a demon that had escaped from several other courts and murdered handfuls of Queen's but remained enslaved, he dismissed them with "Sacrifice everything." The disappointment was evident in their forms as they shuffled away, but he had meant what he'd said.

But even Inuyasha had something that he wouldn't, and couldn't, sacrifice.

Countless times after Inuyasha had given up because of the thin band of gold encircling his organ, Sesshomaru had cornered him and pinned him to the wall, snarling with rage and calling him a fool and a coward.

However, Inuyasha knew that Sesshomaru was nothing but a silky, court-trained liar.

Long ago, there was a time when Urasue Takahashi searched for Sesshomaru with a vengeance. He had vanished without a trace. It was a hundred years before he was found again, and that wasn't until he received word from a messenger that he surrendered.

It simply stated, "Surrender by the new moon, or everyday thereafter, I will take a piece of the half-breed in payment for your defiance."

Inuyasha shook those memories from his head as he surveyed the tranquility that masked the atrocities of Tsubaki's domain. He crouched low and sprang up into the canopy of the trees but winced at the sudden movement.

Gingerly, he felt his back. His fingers came back stained with his blood. A bitter smile tugged at his lips as he held his hand out to the darkness and closed his eyes.

There was once a time when it was said that if a wish was made in blood, it was an offering to Kami.

_Just once, I wish there was a Queen I could respect. A person I could truly believe in. She wouldn't fear my strength, and I could call her my friend._

Inuyasha suddenly felt very foolish. With a silly grin tugging at his lips, he wiped the blood on his haori. He was mildly disappointed that the proclamation Kaede had made five hundred years before did not come true. And the remnants of hope had turned sour within his chest as he moved to jump.

-:-Hello?-:-

Inuyasha's head snapped toward the direction of the stables. He knew that the guards would be making their rounds soon, but as far as he knew, no one else was awake.

Even Kuronue would have been fast asleep after the lashing they had both suffered earlier.

-:-Hello?-:-

He craned his neck from side to side in search of anyone, but he could not see a person in site.

However, he did not feel like chancing it tonight and jumped down from his perch.

"Hello."

**A/N:** I am sorry for the long wait! I was super busy with the last few weeks of school and then a few Summer vacations. Oh, well I will try to get the next chapter out sooner! Thank you for the wonderful review!


	3. Dreams made flesh

**Priestess of the Jewel**

**Chapter 3: Dreams made flesh**

**Last time: **

_Inuyasha suddenly felt very foolish. With a silly grin tugging at his lips, he wiped the blood on his haori. He was mildly disappointed that the proclamation Kaede had made five hundred years before did not come true. And the remnants of hope had turned sour within his chest as he moved to jump._

_-:Hello?:-_

_Inuyasha's head snapped toward the direction of the stables. He knew that the guards would be making their rounds soon, but as far as he knew, no one else was awake. _

_Even Kuronue would have been fast asleep after the lashing they had both suffered earlier. _

_-:Hello?:-_

_He craned his neck from side to side in search of anyone, but he could not see a person in site._

_However, he did not feel like chancing it tonight and jumped down from his perch. _

"_Hello."_

**This time:**

Inuyasha spun on his heel and assumed a battle stance, ready to strike down the person who dared disturb his private moment.

Although, he stopped suddenly when he saw who was behind him.

A deep flush stained his tanned cheeks, and he felt like a fool when he turned to see the wide eyes of a child staring back at him.

She was scrawny to the point of malnourishment and no more than seven years old. Inuyasha silently decided that she was rather plain in her appearance. However, there was one thing that stuck out even in the shadowy darkness. Two magnificent sapphire eyes peered back at him through long, dark lashes.

"What are you doing here?" He bit out as he barred his fangs to the small girl before him.

The petite girl shrugged her shoulders. "I-I heard you. You wanted a friend."

"You _heard_ me?" Inuyasha's mouth hung open as he stared incredulously at the little waif a few feet in front and to the left of him. How in the Seven Hells had she heard him? It was true that he had sent the wish out, but it had been on the Ebon Grey thread. As far as he still knew, he was the only Ebon Grey in the territory. The only Jewel darker than his was Black, and there was only one person who wore the Black and that was Sesshomaru. Unless . . .

No, it was impossible! She couldn't be.

He turned his golden gaze back to her as she flicked her gaze to the dead demon in the boat, and then back to him.

He barely caught her whispered, "I have to go," before she started to back away from him.

"Oh, no you don't." He stalked forward like a predator hunting its prey.

She turned and fled.

He was secretly amused for a moment. He knew it would be no contest. He caught her within a few seconds, without care of the chains clanking together as his arms encircled her small form. He grunted when a foot connected with his shin, but he didn't release his vice-like grip.

However, when she started to shriek, he swiftly covered her mouth. In no time at all, she sank her baby teeth into his finger.

Inuyasha swore under his breath. "Hush," Although the command was whispered, the meaning behind it was not lost on the girl. "Do you want the guards to hear?" He expected her shrieking to increase ten-fold but was surprised when she instantly stilled.

"You're quite a spitting little cat." He laughed quietly, turning the frail girl in his arms.

"Why did you kill him?"

He could have sworn her voice changed. The sweet tones still held childishness, but her voice had also taken on a thunderous quality. "He was suffering."

"But what about taking him to a healer?"

His eyebrow twitched and he snapped. "Healers don't bother with slaves. Besides the rats didn't leave enough to heal." Guilt flooded his veins when he realized she was shaking uncontrollably. He wrapped his arms around her tighter hoping that physical warmth might help.

"I'm sorry. That was cruel of me." She only peered up at him through her lashes before she brought her head up to stare into his amber depths.

"What's your name?" She asked innocently, staring up at him with her bright blue eyes that had never seen death or known hurt.

"They call me, Yasha." A small chuckle escaped her lips when she wrinkled her tiny nose at his name. "Don't blame me. I wasn't the one who chose it."

"You must have a real name." She gently prodded, secretly hoping that he would tell her.

Inuyasha was torn. His name struck fear into most ningens. Stories about his mass killings to escape courts were infamous. If she had heard any of the stories about him . . .

"My name is Inuyasha Ito."

She smiled brilliantly at him.

"And what is your name, Cat?"

"Kagome."

_Kagome _He thought, testing how the name sounded.

"That's a nice name, but I think that Cat suits you better." He teased as he pinched her gaunt cheek.

She growled.

"See?"

Then sudden realization hit him. He hesitated, but he had to know. Tsubaki knowing that he killed the man and guessing he had killed the man would make a huge difference when it came time for his punishment.

"Is your family here to visit Tsubaki?"

"Who?" Confusion spread across her face as she tried to figure out who he was talking about.

"Tsubaki, the Queen of Tsushima."

Kagome frowned. "Well, since you're not from here, where are you from?"

For the first time since they met, she hesitated. "I can keep a secret."

She opened her mouth and then snapped it shut, and then she opened her mouth once again. "I'm from Nagoya."

"Nagoya-," He bit back a curse. She giggled. "You don't speak Inu do you?"

"No, but I know a few words."

He was unsure if he should laugh or strangle her.

Another thought popped into his head, but he was unsure if he truly wanted to know the answer. "So how did you get here?"

Her lips shaped an 'O.' "The same way I get everywhere else."

A strangled cry left his lips. "You mean you ride the winds?"

She raised a finger to the air.

"No, not breezes or gentle puffs. I meant the Winds, the Webs, the Psychic roads."

"Oh," she perked up. "Is that what they are?" In her enthusiasm she went from sitting to kneeling in a matter of seconds.

He muttered a long string of expletives under his breath.

Kagome leaned forward so that her forehead was against his. "Are you always this prickly?"

"Well, most people do think I am a prick." He replied offhandedly, forgetting that she was too young to fully understand what he meant.

"What does that mean?"

"Just forget about it." He replied. His tone sharp. He grabbed a nearby stick and drew three circles between them. "Okay, this is the Ningen-Kai." He put a stone where he had designated Ningen-Kai. "This is Makai and Reikai, and this is where the Winds meet." He drew straight lines from the stones to the circumference of the circles. "These are tether lines." He then proceeded to draw small circles within the circles. "These are the radial lines. The Webs are like a spider web. You can travel on the tether or radial lines, changing direction where they intersect. There is a Web for each rank of the Blood Jewels. You can ride a Web that is your rank or lighter, and you cannot ride a Web that is darker than your Jewel rank unless you're traveling inside of a Coach being driven by someone who is strong enough to ride that Web or shielded by someone who can ride that Web. If you attempt to, you may not survive. Do you understand?"

Kagome pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she stared at the drawing in front of her. She then pointed to a spot between the strands. "And how would I get here?"

"You would have to drop from the Web back into the Realm at the nearest point and travel some other way."

She continued to stare at the spot. "That's not how I got here."

Inuyasha cringed. There wasn't a strand of any Web that led to Tsubaki's territory. Her court had been deliberately built in one of those blank areas. The only way to enter from the Winds was by leaving the Web and gliding blindly through the Darkness, which, even for the strongest and best, was a chancy thing to go. Unless . . .

He beckoned her to climb into his lap with a small hand gesture. "Do you often wander?"

Kagome nodded slowly, letting her midnight strands dance around her heart-shaped face. "People call out to me. Like you did."

Like he did. Oh, Kami! "Heed my words. Children are vulnerable to many different dangers."

Something flickered in her eyes, but it was gone just as fast as it had come. "Yes, I know."

"There are times when an enemy wears the mask of a friend until it is far too late to escape."

"Yes," she whispered, her eyes haunted with an unreadable expression.

Inuyasha gently lifted her head so that she looked him in the eyes. "Tsushima is dangerous to little cats. Please, go home and don't go wandering anymore. Don't answer the calls of people who summon you."

She was very silent for several moments, and then her big blue eyes became glassy. "But then I won't be able to see you anymore."

He closed his golden eyes. He mentally groaned in agony. Fifty lashes and then salt in his open wounds would have caused him less pain than the sad look marring her face. "I know, but we will remain friends regardless. It will only be for a while. When you have grown, I'll come find you, or you'll find me."

"How old is grown up?" She sniffled, letting her bottom lip be pulled in between her teeth.

"We'll say seventeen. It sounds like a long time, but it's really not that long." Inuyasha could have kicked himself in the face. Even Sesshomaru couldn't have spun a better lie. "Will you promise me?"

A long sigh escaped from her small mouth. "I promise I won't go wandering in Tsushima."

"Then there is one thing I would like to teach you before you go. This will work if any male tries to grab you from behind." Once he was sure she had the motions down, he kissed her forehead and stepped away.

"Now go. The guards will be making their rounds anytime now, and remember a Queen never breaks a promise made to a Warlord Prince."

For a moment she just stared at him with a slight look of confusion. "I won't." She stopped in her tracks, hesitating for a moment. She spun on her heel. "Inuyasha? I won't look like this when I am older. How will you know it is me?"

Inuyasha smiled a true and genuine smile. It didn't matter if a hundred years passed, he would still remember her and her extraordinary eyes. "I'll know. Farewell, Cat. May Kami watch over you."

She smiled brilliantly at him and vanished.

He stared at the empty space. It was a foolish thing for him to say, but he had felt the need to express that sentiment.

The creaking of a gate caught his attention. He quickly erased the picture and slipped into the shadows. He passed through the wall and into his cell just as the guards opened the barred window to the door.

Tsubaki was foolish enough to believe that her simple holding spells were enough to keep her slaves from using magic to pass through. It was uncomfortable to pass through an enchanted wall but not impossible.

A devious smirk made its way onto his lips.

Let her dwell on that. When the guards found the man in the boat, she would suspect him. She always suspected him when anything went wrong in her domain; However, it was with good reason.

He would put up a little resistance when the guards came to tie him to the whipping posts. A fight would keep Tsubaki distracted, and the violent emotions would cover up any lingering traces of the girl.

A low chuckle managed to escape.

Tsubaki would never know that Miko now walked the Realm.


End file.
